I am a physician working for The Permanente Medical Group (the Kaiser physician group) in California. I have just learned during open enrollment that the group will no longer offer a PPO option, but only Kaiser health insurance.

I don't want to have Kaiser health insurance, because as a patient in this system, any health care provider (including any physician or nurse) has easy access to the entire list of medical conditions and medications that any patient is taking (assuming they know your name or medical record number).

I am HIV positive, and receiving medical treatment for it, and I feel that this would violate the confidentiality to which I am entitled in the workplace.

What do you think?

Worried in CA

Unfortunately, unless you want to purchase coverage on your own, you don't have many options. Although HIPAA makes this possible, the cost of a HIPAA policy would be expensive because the insurer would add on a surcharge because of your existing health status.

Please remember that if you take the Kaiser option, your health status is confidential and anyone who accesses your records and uses this information without your consent is violating your legal right to confidentiality.

Lynn L. Franzoi